Black Liliana
by Seraphic Melody
Summary: Even the princes of the underworld grow tired of darkness. Sometimes even they crave the light. Joker x Alice
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**; All rights go to Quinrose when due.

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**Black Liliana**

**Alice x Joker**

The circus portion of their domain was always abuzz with activity. Whether it was practice or an actual performance, underneath the tent was a world full of color and noise.

And Joker swore if he had to stay in such an asylum for an extended period of time, he would go insane.

He would choose the prison over that noisy death trap any day. There he did not have to put forth any effort to be nice or show any patience. There he didn't have to worry about dealing with _anyone_. The Afterimages were silent officers that the Jokers' will. The prisoners followed their orders blindly and rendered mute by fear. The only real disturbance Joker experienced was from the idiot Heart Knight, but those visits were always far and few.

That silence was music to the warden's ears. He contented himself the dank solitude of his prison, preferring it over the company of the role holding idiots. There at the prison, he felt true peace.

Those quiet, peaceful days came to an abrupt end when _she_ arrived.

Joker cringed when he heard a loud clatter. It echoed throughout his silent penitentiary and sent a stabbing ache through his head. He cursed, tapped his riding crop against his arm, and turned around to face his noisy intruder.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Black," Alice Liddell said, her voice carrying undertones of sarcasm. She pushed the toy she kicked to the side and recollected her poise. "And I can see you are as pleasant as ever."

"Hmph. I was in a decent mood until you came stomping all over my prison." She pouted in response. Joker only scoffed. "Now just answer the damn question. What are you doing here?"

He gritted his teeth and was barely able look at her. Her whole presence made him feel like his eyes were going to bleed. Against their monochrome surroundings, her blue dress was like bright light that shined directly into his eyes. It took him a long moment before he felt his eyes adjust, hiding his discomfort with a customary scowl.

"I just came for a visit," she replied innocently.

"And you decided you wanted to visit the prison? You stupid or what?"

"Well is it stupid if I came to talk to you?" she said in defense, in a tone that was a louder than he found comfortable. He resisted the reflex to flinch and kept his composure.

"Why didn't you visit the circus? You could have talked to me there."

Then he would have been saved from this annoying predicament.

The circus clown was always better at talking to people, like the foreigner. Joker felt he could not be bothered and had little patience to spare anyway. It was more convenient to let the other Joker deal with Alice while he piped up to offer a snide remark now and again.

The fact he was forced to deal with her now was slowly burning what little patience Joker already had.

"Well I asked White, and he sent me over here to see you without a complaint."

"Hmph. That stupid clown is just doing even stupider things to annoy me," he grumbled. He narrowed his eyes and wondered what the hell was he thinking. Was it part of his many schemes? He brushed the thought aside and returned his attention to the girl before him. "Well like I give a damn. Now out with it. What was so important that you actually had to come here to speak with me?"

She suddenly tensed. She began to shift nervously in he place, finding herself interested with a plastic toy lying on the ground. The longer she dawdled without saying a word, the more annoyed he felt. He restrained himself and gripped his riding crop tighter, feeling an angry nerve pulse menacingly against his temple. His eyes were beginning to sting and feel damp, her bright attire beginning to get to him.

Finally she spoke. "Well as you know… the April Season is going to end soon, which means the Jokers are going to leave."

"Thank god for that…" The sooner he got away from these annoying role holders the better. He blinked, noticing Alice frown at his response, the light fading slightly from her eyes. "But what of it?" he added, almost as if to rectify his previous, thoughtless comment.

It was not because he _cared_ how she felt or anything. That there would be completely stupid of him, and he assured himself he was no such idiot.

"Since you guys are leaving soon, I just wanted to give you something." She reached in her satchel – _where the hell did that come from_, Joker thought in momentary bewilderment– and pulled out a single item, wrapped in warm, summery cloth.

At the sight, Joker blinked once. Twice.

He spat out, "What the hell is that?"

"It's some mochi I made. Whenever we talked about autumn season, you always mentioned how good the food was so I thought I would give you some."

The warden still could not shake this sense of disbelief. "Why didn't you just give it to Joker in the circus? It's the same thing anyway."

"No, it's actually not the same." For once Joker was at a complete loss at what to say. Despite the embarrassed warmth spreading over her cheeks, she still looked at him, her eyes shining even brighter. "That's why I came here in person. I wanted to give each of you your presents to show my appreciation. Even if you always spoke badly, you did treat me well and helped me have fun."

After those words, at the look in her eyes, he felt the greatest need to utter some snide remark, to say something rude and mean like he always did to defuse this sickening situation. For some reason, his mind was drawing a blank. He could not think of anything as he stared into her doe eyes and gentle smile that lit up her entire face.

'_It's just too damn bright.'_

"So… here you go." He snapped out of his daze and gawked at the gift still in her hand. "Are you going to accept it?"

He quickly recollected his composure with a low grunt and snatched the package of her hands.

"Hmph. Well since you offered I guess I can accept it. I can't waste food after all."

"Oh, will it kill you to just say thank you, Black?"

'_Actually, it would _'

He scoffed at the suggestion. Like hell would he ever submit to something as silly as that. He would rather take his chances in that crazy circus tent than actually thank anyone, let alone Alice. He grumbled crossly under his breath, turning his gaze towards the wall. For some reason he could not look at her face. Looking at her made him feel strange, a kind of strange that felt as if face might combust at any given moment.

He scowled, knowing without even seeing that she was still looking at him with that smile, that warm, stupid smile that threatened to melt his face.

"Well if that's all, you can go now. I'm very busy," he said curtly, not trusting himself to look her in the face.

"Alright, Black. I'll leave now." She still lingered a moment, slowly stepping closer to him instead. "Really, thank you for everything. I really will miss you, Joker."

Then he felt her do the unthinkable. She gently touched his arm and leaned forward to press her lips against his cheek. His muscles stiffened. His mind fell completely blank. When she pulled away from him, all he could do was stare at her.

"Bye, Joker!"

Alice smiled broadly once more and waved, making her way down the hall and disappearing from sight. Her blue dress seemed like a beacon, shining brightly before being consumed by the shadows.

He blinked, looked down at the present, and scoffed.

'_What a stupid girl._'

He still was shocked over what happened. Honestly, he would never allow anyone to step into his personal bubble or touch him without his verbal consent. If one of his prisoners were to so much as brush him the wrong way, they would be beaten senseless and executed on the spot.

But this was no ordinary prisoner. This was Alice.

She did not fit in with his prison. her bright presence served as a stark contrast to the dark, macabre scene surrounding them. Still he could not help but wonder in his degrading mentality — since insanity was the only proper explanation for his current state — if that truly was a bad thing.

He leaned back against the cold stone walls and took a moment to observe his surroundings. He suddenly was aware of how the prison was so silent, so dark and gloomy, so completely empty. At the thought, a chill raced down his spine.

Once he thought he was content with this silence, this perpetual solitude. Once he thought he was content with his job as the heartless prison warden, staunch protector of the rules, the feared ruler of this dark underworld.

If he truly was content, why was it that all he could think about was Alice's stupid blue dress, her stupid bright eyes, and even stupider wide smile?

"What the freaking hell is wrong with me?"

He retrieved a mochi from its bindings and took a vicious bite, trying hard to imagine a blue light twinkling in the deep shadows, of the warmth that lingered on his cold arm, cheek, and chest.

_Even the cold darkness craves the warmth of light._

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**A/N Notes**: So from the ashes of non-activity, I bring forth this two part story. Huzzah?

Also I wanted to try differentiating the Jokers without resorting to Black and White. If it wasn't obvious, this was more Black Joker centered. Considering it probably is obvious, I won't state who the next chapter is centered on (if I decide to get to it).

Anyways thanks for reading~


	2. Chapter 2

**Black Liliana**

**Joker x Alice**

Joker liked to consider himself as a collector of sorts. He only gathered the finest of objects, the rarest and most extraordinary things the human eye has ever seen. One of his most prized collections was his very own circus. He put his very best toys in display – the most daring trapeze artists, his most unusual creatures, his greatest entertainers. He was the master puppeteer of the entire affair, coordinating only the best performance he could muster for his audience.

And he found it boring.

There was much more to do in the circus than the prison, most definitely. But even the bright red top could be as dull and monotonous as the gray stone walls. He only had a limited amount of toys to play with in the circus, only so many to manipulate as he pleased. It would only have been a matter of time before he succumbed to this inevitable sense of boredom.

Unlike his counterpart who habitually ranted and raved about his hatred towards everything, including the circus – such an dramatic man he was – Joker knew he was just bored too. Like the other role holders, they performed their roles in perfect clockwork, forced to follow this tedious routine. How they craved for something, anything, to bring some excitement to their tedious lives.

Then she appeared.

"Ah, Alice! You finally returned." The outsider nodded her head and continued towards him, her blue gown almost glowing against the crimson backdrop. He felt his lips curve into a smile. "How did it go with Joker? Smoothly, I hope."

"Well as smoothly as it ever gets with that grump," she grumbled. "I just hope he liked it enough to not throw it out right away.

"I wouldn't fret about that, milady. I'm sure he liked his present. Isn't that right, Joker?"

He paused a moment, glancing down to the mask as he waited for a response. Joker did not reply with a normal, contemptuous remark or a scathing comment. In fact, he said absolutely nothing at all. Joker blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered.

'_After all, whenever we deal with Alice, things are always so much more interesting._'

She was an unpredictable force of nature, having an effect on others that was almost baffling. There was no one else like her, an oddity no one had ever seen before. She was a unique chess piece that graced their country's game, one withholding a light that even shone in their dark, lonely world.

While his counterpart attempted to deny his feelings – claiming he desired only to capture the insolent rule breaker and nothing more – Joker was much more honest about things.

He wanted her.

"Oh, White-san! I should give you your present now too!" Joker roused himself from his musings and watched her shuffle through her bag for a single item. "Found it! Here it is."

It was a blue cloth, decorated heavily with a pattern of snowflakes.

"The Winter season," he mumbled, amused by the sight. He accepted the gift with a gracious smile and carefully unraveled the bindings. He blinked in surprise and stared at the colorful arrangement that lay within.

"Those are candy from Heart Castle and the cloth was from Clover Tower," said Alice.

"Winter and Spring… how very thoughtful of you," he replied, his eye fixated on a single flower. It was a lily flower, its white petals seeming to open wide and resurrect back to life the moment he opened it from its bindings.

"Even after the death that comes winter's harsh embrace, spring opens the earth back to life."

"Well, I never thought of it like that, but I just wanted to show how grateful I am for you both for changing the seasons." She edged closer to look at the lily flower. "I just thought that the flower was pretty and fit into your theme so I put it in there. Don't you think so too?"

"Indeed it is." Joker picked up the lily and released a breath of surprise. The moment it touched his fingers, a darkness spread over the pure, white petals, causing it to change color, into a deep black.

"Huh, that's strange, but at least it's still really pretty. I haven't seen anything like that happen before."

"It's a rarity, miss."

But he found his gaze drifting to a different kind of flower. Her eyes were alight with a simple light, her lips curved into a wistful smile. Standing there so close to him, she seemed so innocent, so pure… so very unsuspecting.

"This talk about winter and spring reminds me about this one myth I heard, one about Hades and Persephone."

"Oh! Yes, I did hear about that. That's the story of when the God of the Underworld, Hades, kidnapped Persephone, daughter of the Harvest Goddess Demeter."

"But can you really blame Hades? For desiring her, the young goddess of spring, wanting that light and warmth that was so absent from his domain?" Alice fell completely still when Joker took a step closer to her. "And do you think that Persephone left unwillingly with such a force of darkness? Maybe she joined his side so she could have her chance of freedom from the life that bound her." Her mouth opened slightly, but failed to offer any response. A dust of pink appeared over her cheeks when he placed the flower into her hands. "So, Miss Alice, would you like to stay with us, join our Underworld and be our Persephone?"

Alice could not speak. With Joker's close proximity, his cold fingers lightly touching her cheek, all she could do was stammer incoherently. Her pink cheeks deepened into a bright red.

At the sight, Joker could not help but laugh. "My, miss, you take things so seriously!"

Alice blinked in confusion before realization. As Joker continued chuckling, she pouted and took a firm step back. "So cruel for teasing me like that White-san! I don't appreciate it at all!"

Despite how upset she seemed, Joker did not miss that brightness of her red cheeks, her inability to look at him directly in the eye.

He ceased his chuckles and smiled gently. "Please don't be upset. Our circus is a place for fun and amusement after all. In fact, we plan on having one more show for only select audiences before we leave. It would please us if you came so we could see you again."

Alice scoffed. "Really? Would you guys seriously give me a private performance?"

"But of course. Consider the invitation a token of our gratitude."

He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Alice gasped and took a step back, cheeks burning even redder. "W… What was th…that for?"

"It was just another way of saying thanks." He innocently tilted his head to the side, appearing genuinely befuddled by her behavior. "Did it displease you, milady? My apologies."

He took another step towards her, causing her to yelp and stumble back. "Joker, stop teasing me. This isn't funny!"

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about, milady." He grinned, watching her eyes widened, her posture stiffening as he gently toyed with a strand of her hair.

She sharply pulled away and scowled. "I think I should get going now. Nightmare and the others are probably worried about me."

"Of course. After all, the beloved outsider, the light of this very country, must return to the surface," he mumbled to himself. Alice blinked, but Joker only smiled, lowering into a gentlemanly bow. "Farewell, Alice. I do hope to see you once more before we leave."

Alice nodded her head and quickly made her way out of the circus, her face and cheeks still a bright red

"And such a light she is…"

Joker exhaled an amused breath. Even though he was standing underneath these bright stage lights, underneath this glaring red big top, everything seemed so much duller after Alice left, as if the very light in the room followed her out of the tent.

"Oi, Joker! What the heck were you trying to do?"

Joker jumped a little at the sound and glanced down at his waist with a smile. "Oh, wonderful! So you're conscious after all! I was getting concerned that you fainted after receiving the young outsider's present."

"Hmph! It's not like I cared for it! It didn't matter to me one bit!" he grumbled, earning a chuckle from the ringmaster.

"Really, you must learn tobe more honest with your feelings! Always being in denial is exhausting."

"Shut the hell up, you stupid clown." The ringmaster smiled and laughed again, hearing his counterpart grumble and curse in annoyance. "So why didn't you capture the prisoner while you have a chance?"

"It's probably the same reasons as to why you never tried to capture her yourself when she was in the prison." Joker appeared thoughtful for a moment, tapping a finger lightly on his chin. "Unless you truly did pass out due to shock…"

"Shut your trap now, or I'll beat you the next time you come to the prison."

Joker smiled down at the mask before returning his gaze up to look at where she exited. He blinked, noticing a fallen black lily petal, and picked it gently off the ground.

He smiled. She was their pure lily flower, their innocent Persephone. How they craved to taint that innocence and make her theirs.

The Jokers were much smarter than Hades. Unlike the lord of the dead, they were capable of exercising patience when it came to the capture of this prisoner. They will have her choose to stay on their side, come into their realm by her own accord.

'_After all, we do have one ace up our sleeves._' Joker dug into his pocket and pulled out a glass bottle, watching its heart shape stopper glint underneath the circus lights. _'We hope to see you soon, Alice._'

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A/N Notes: This is probably just me being a Greek myth junkie, but I always thought that the Jokers reminded me of a little of Hades. Yes, no, maybe? Eh, Maybe I'm just crazy.

And as for how they would know any kinds of myth and folklore from our world... I simply request you roll with it? I'm sure there's a chance of it being possible.

Anyways thanks for reading~


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